Members of a group known as Concerned Oodua Descendants trooped out in their hundreds on Friday at Ibadan, Oyo State capital at a rally demanding that Chief Ayo Adebanjo should step aside as acting Leader of Afenifere....CONTINUE READING
The group, which condemned the way Pa Adebanjo has been conducting the affairs of the socio-cultural organisation in recent times insisted that the leader must go for peace to reign…..CONTINUE READING
A similar protest took place in Akure, Ondo State capital on Tuesday, April 18, 2023. Adebanjo is accused of conducting the affairs of the body in an autocratic manner.
It would be recalled that Chief Adebanjo recently suspended two national officers, National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Jare Ajayi and National Organising Secretary, Abagun Kole Omololu.
The group, however, noted that Pa Reuben Famuyide Fasoranti, OFR, declared the purported suspension was a nullity because the said officials, Comrade Jare Ajayi and Abagun Kole Omololu should rather be commended than being punished as a result of their services to Afenifere and to Yorubaland.
Ajayi was purportedly ‘suspended’ because he issued a congratulatory message to Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu after being declared as President-elect while Omololu was ‘punished’ for asking Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwun to apologise for calling Yoruba ‘political rascals’.
According to a statement issued by the group, signed by Engineer Lai Gboluaje, the coordinator and Ms Adewumi Adediran, the principles and legacies of the group have been abused.
“We need to state here clearly that we do not come here under the auspices of any political group or interest. Neither were we sponsored by anybody or any group. The motivation for us to be here is to ensure that our immediate interest and the interests of our children are not subjugated by those who are supposed to protect same. We notice, for instance, what was playing out in Lagos and what played out in Ilorin during the era of Aole and Alimi. We don’t want such to happen again. Afenifere is a heritage of us, Yorubas. It cannot be appropriated by any single individual or a group of individuals. Afenifere has principles, philosophy and procedures. We watched with utter dismay, disappointment and sadness how these noble ideas have been bastardised at least in the last one year or so. Noble ideas bequeathed to us by the Founding Fathers of our Afenifere!
“We can no longer fold our arms and watch our noble heritage going into the mud. If we did, the likes of Pa Awolowo, Pa Ajasin, Pa Adesanya, Pa Ige etc will not forgive us. More importantly, what would we be handing over to our own children?
These, and more, are the reasons why we come out to say that Pa Fasoranti should take back the mantle of Leadership of Afenifere. Rejig it for us and let it revert to the original philosophy guiding it. The philosophy of putting Yoruba First in ideas, thoughts and actions…..CONTINUE READING
